The Headmaster
by Sheankelor
Summary: Severus died in the Shrieking Shack still connected to Hogwarts' magic and with the desire to see the war to its end. How does this explain why there was no body? Why there was no portrait? And just who are the elves calling The Headmaster?
_AN: This one is not beta'ed. It just needed out of my head so that I could finish Making it Work. Yen did say it was good, but she didn't have a moment. Perhaps her or Sunny might take care of it one day. The voices that Severus hears/sentences he remembers are quoted from "The Secret Garden" the Broadway score.
_

 _The Headmaster_

"Look at me." Severus peered deep into the green eyes looking at him. In them he could see the will to live and was sad to know the information in the memories Granger collected would snuff that life out. Letting his eyes drift shut, unable to look into those eyes any more, Severus worried about the students, his colleagues, and the school itself. He heard the three shuffle out of the shack, wishing he could go with them to help defeat Voldemort. The rattle in his chest told him that it was not happening. Instead, he was going to face Lily after telling her son that he had to die willingly. A chill ran through him, one he was not certain came from the cold seeping into him as his blood seeped out or from the thought of Lily's displeasure.

A shuddering breath later, Severus waited for the next one, one that never came.

Sitting up, his soul partially separated from his body. Standing up finished the job. Without a single glance back, Severus strode out of the Shrieking Shack. There might not be much good he could do as a ghost, but whatever he could do, he would.

Coming out from the tunnel near the Whomping Willow, Severus felt a warmth blossom through him. Ignoring it, wondering in the back of his mind if it was something to do with becoming a ghost, he went in search of Minerva as the Dark Lord announced a ceasefire. He needed to fill her in on Albus' plans now that he was no longer oath bound not to.

§§§§§§§

Standing in front of the Transfiguration Master, Severus waited, hoping that she could see him. He had noticed as he crossed the grounds and passed through the castle that no one reacted to his presence. Glancing at his hands and arms, he couldn't help but to notice that he only glowed faintly. Was he still becoming a ghost? Was there a process to this? Words echoed in his mind, ones he had heard long ago. _Does everyone who dies become a ghost?_ The young girl's voice sounded in his mind shortly followed by a man who would have been his age. _They're only a ghost is someone alive is still holding onto them._

Giving up on her acknowledging his presence, he decided to see if she could hear him. "Minerva, you have to listen to me. I've been working for Albus this entire time." She moved slightly, her eyes looking pasty him, but Severus persisted, hoping that she was just ignoring him. "I have to warn you, Potter is going to walk to his death. He has to – Albus says it is the only way. Once he does, you have to kill the Dark Lord. He should be vulnerable then."

There was no reaction, not even the shifting of her eyes to betray her thoughts or feelings. Spotting Molly, he went to tell her. He knew she thought of the boy as a son and she had already lost one. It would only be right to warn her for this one.

"Molly, Potter is going to die. He will give himself up to it willingly so we can win." When the Weasley matriarch didn't react, Severus knew they could not hear him. _'I guess no one is holding onto me tight enough. Why am I ghost if I can't help? What is keeping me here?'_

Spinning about, he stalked out of the Great Hall, passing through the wall. If he couldn't communicate with the people here, he could at least see condition of the castle and the grounds.

"Headmaster?"

Severus jerked about, staring at the small elf near him. "You can see me?"

The ears flapped lightly as the small creature nodded. "Faintly, Headmaster. Pip is sad to see you as a ghost."

"Am I really a ghost?" Severus worried about that as he investigated. Surely a ghost was more visible than he was.

Pip nodded faster as he answered. "Yes, Headmaster is a ghost."

"A practically invisible ghost." Severus compressed his lips for a moment. "How did you know I was here? How can you hear me?"

"Pip can because the Headmaster has the same magic and it is intertwined with Hogwarts."

The last part surprised Severus. "Intertwined with Hogwarts? But I'm dead and the Headmaster connection would have passed onto someone else – Minerva most likely."

Pip shook his head. "You are still connected to them, Headmaster, sir."

"I am not the Headmaster any more, you can just call me Snape." Severus corrected Pip while he tried to think of the implications of still holding the magic of Hogwarts.

"Headmaster Snape is still the Headmaster of Hogwarts. The mantle of power has not left you, sir. Others may have the title and some control of her magic, but you are truly the Headmaster." Pip smiled up at him.

"I have control of the magic?" Severus reached inside of himself and touched the warm spot in the centre of his chest. His eyes widened as he felt the magic swirling through the castle and the grounds. It took a minute, but he eventually picked out single threads and could tell their purpose. Gesturing at a door, he ordered it to become just a door and the room to move somewhere else. He could feel the change as it happened.

Turning his gaze out the window, he stared at the Forbidden Forest. Soon, Potter would be walking out there, hunting for the Dark Lord. He knew most of the creatures would allow the boy to pass, but the acromantulas might not. Even from here he could feel the magical lines criss-crossing the forest. One foot in the wall, Pip's question stopped him.

"Headmaster, your body, where is it? Do you wish the elves to prepare it to be collected?"

Turning slowly, facing the earnest blue eyes, he answered. "It is in the Shrieking Shack, but there is no reason to prepare it – there will be no-one to collect it. I grant the elves permission to dispose of it how they will. Just do not let it fall into either side's hands, neither would respect it." Severus turned back to the window. "I am going to be in the forest if you need me."

It was a habit to tell them, one that he slipped back into. Pip's excited 'yes, Headmaster' brought a twist to his lips and he headed out.

§§§§§§§

The gloom under the trees made Severus' form stand out slightly more than the fire lit castle and moon lit grounds. Following the well known route to the acromantulas nest – he had collected silk there often enough – he knew he was being watched and was therefore not surprised when the leader of the colony met him at the mouth of the cave.

"I know you can understand me, you and your kin have spent their early years crawling about the castle learning the language." Severus pulled on the surrounding magic to force himself even more visible, and hopefully able to be heard. "I am here to inform you of your options."

The chelicerae of the spider clicked together while it focused his eyes on him. Severus raised an eyebrow, wondering if the beast would be able to speak. According to Hagrid, they could speak human speech.

The words eventually came. "Options? You are a dead human, why should we listen to you?"

"I might be a ghost, but I am still the Headmaster of this school, and as such I can command who and what can remain on school grounds."

"What can a ghost such as you do?" The other spiders closed in around him as the leader spoke.

Pulling on the magically threads, ordering them to restrain all the acromantulas in the Forest, he watched as the ones around him were bound. "As you can see, I can easily enforce my will." He watched as the spiders struggled to no avail. "I shall release you now, and you shall listen to your options."

With a thought, the spiders were free.

"What does the Headmaster wish to tell us?" If he could spit venom, Severus was sure that some would be flying through his ghostly form at that moment.

"I know that Hagrid's friend, Aragog, did not allow the eating of humans."

"I am not my father. What constrained him was friendship, not desire."

Severus nodded his head slightly. "Of course, and I am not Hagrid. I am telling you that the acromantulas cannot eat the inhabitants of the school, those who attack it, on the other hand, can be dinner. As you are living on school grounds, you shall also defend this school and its inhabitants from attack. If you cannot agree to this, you shall be removed from the Forest and your home here destroyed."

The spider paced back and forth, chittering lightly as it moved. Other spiders joined it, obviously discussing their options. Eventually the great beast focused back on Severus. "You have proved that you can bind us, making us incapable of defending ourselves or our home. What you require of us is just slightly more than what has been our way of life already. We shall agree to these conditions."

Severus tipped his head in acknowledgement of the statement. "This shall be a binding contract. Not with one person, but with Hogwarts itself. You and all your family and descendent shall be bound to it."

The spider clicked it chelicerae before replying. "It shall be. All of the acromantulas of the Forest shall abide this contract."

"Thank you." Turning away, Severus headed towards another well known section of the Forest. If things went the way he thought they were going to, the castle defenders were going to need more allies.

The clearing was not overrun by Death Eaters as Severus suspected since it was one of the largest in the Forest. He had a feeling it was because of the well armed centaurs standing in it. Walking out of the gloom, he hoped he was visible enough for them to notice.

Magorian stepped forward with Bane at his side. "Severus Snape, the stars have not shone kindly upon you tonight."

Severus barely stopped himself from looking up at the sky. "No, but I fear they shall be even worse for Hogwarts if help is not found."

"The school burns, it is already bad. What help can make this better?" Magorian's tail flicked from side to side as he waited for the ghost to answer.

"Harry Potter is to walk to his death tonight." He was shocked when the centaur nodded, surprise or anger missing from his expression. "Once he has passed on, the Dark Lord will enter the castle."

"That is human affairs. It does not affect us."

"It can. Mark my words, he will fight again tonight, and in his anger, even your neutrality might not save you. And even if it does tonight, there is no telling if it will in the future. He has never cared for … ones not under his power."

Magorian's lips compressed tightly as Bane stomped a hoof. Severus continued. "You live in the Forest, on school grounds, protected by the magic of Hogwarts. If he destroys the school or modifies the magic, those protections would cease to be. I do not ask that you defend us humans, but your own home. If he attacks again tonight, protect the school."

"We shall take this under consideration."

Nodding slightly, Severus turned to leave. There was one more place he wanted to stop by before returning to the castle. It didn't take him too long to find the thestrals in a glade near the edge of the Forest behind Hagrid's hut. A small smile curled his lips as the stallion of the group gave him a studious look before attempting to nudge him. Its muzzle passed through his shoulder causing his head to shoot back, eyes wide.

"Yes, I am dead." Severus let his smile increase as the black head tilted to the side, contemplating him. "I wish you to help defend Hogwarts. When the Dark Lord renews his attacks on the castle, take to the skies and help where you can."

The stallion nodded with a snort. Taking that as a yes, Severus strode back to the castle. Out of the corner of his eye he watched as Voldemort came out of the Forest leading his Death Eaters and Hagrid who was carrying a body. Flying – literally – to the castle, Severus searched for Minerva, hoping once again that she could see him. To his disappointment, she couldn't.

When the Dark Lord caught the Sorting Hat on fire while it was on Longbottom's head, he snapped. Not one of his students was going to be hurt under his watch – never again. Not if there was something he could do about. Calling on the magic of Hogwarts, he cast a protective barrier about both the boy and the hat, though they could feel the heat the flames could not damage them. A smirk flashed across his face when Longbottom broke the body bind and knocked the hat to the ground. He couldn't suppress the unmitigated joy caused by watching the boy cut off the snake's head in one masterful stroke of the sword he pulled from the hat. Savouring the joy coursing through him, he watched as the battle resumed once again.

"Headmaster, should Pip take the Sorting Hat to the office?"

Severus focused on the elf who was currently holding the hat and looking up at him. "Yes, place it back on its shelf. I believe it deserves a rest after this year's events."

Pip's ears bobbed up and down as he nodded. As he prepared to pop away, Severus called his name, stopping him.

"The Headmaster needs something?"

"If the house elves wish to join in the fight, you have permission to do so. The ones that do not can start on the repair and clean up of the castle." He knew he made the correct choice when the blue eyes lit up with a fierceness that many Death Eaters would learn to fear.

"Thank you, Headmaster."

§§§§§§§

Severus looked about the room, a small smile curling his lips. There were no doors, only bookshelves lining the walls. Scattered about the space were small chairs, tables, cauldrons, and other sundries needed by the little elves who also typically occupied the space. At this moment, the room was empty of everyone but him. It was his room, one that the house elves moved all his belongings into. One that was his quiet spot in the entire castle. He didn't immure himself inside its walls, no he walked through them and watched the students. He attended every Sorting, watched classes, attended Quidditch games, wandered the Forest, but he did spend late nights and early mornings here as well as quiet times during the day. Pip and the other elves made sure he had reading material – they supplied him with potion journals, defence journals, and the current newspapers.

Over the years he had become the official elven babysitter. Their little ones were typically easier to deal with than his students in the past. The ones he watched were old enough to turn pages of his journals and they were supposed to be learning to clean and prepare ingredients – so he had them creating the potions he dictated to them. A small smile curled his lips. Just this past summer, Hogwarts patented its first potion under the name of The Headmaster. His name was not attached, and there was some back and forth, but the Ministry eventually accepted the patent.

Savouring the silence, Severus let his mind wander over the complication he had encountered with his latest brew. A tug broke his thoughts. Spinning about, he tried to determine just what happened.

The tug came again, pulling at his heart. Checking his connection to Hogwarts magic, he wondered if it was leaving him, finally moving to Minerva after all this time. _'Will I pass over then? Fade away and finally face Lily and Albus?'_ A feeling of uncertainty raced through him. He wasn't prepared to face anyone who had already moved onto the next great adventure. He was grateful when the tugging feeling faded and his focus shifted as the little elves appeared in the room ready to start on the next potion or to learn how to use a knife correctly.

It was in the middle of telling Mimpsy to stir the bubbling cauldron three times clockwise that the tug came back, stronger than before. He barely had a chance to warn them that something was happening before he disappeared from his room only to reappear in the Headmaster's office.

Staring about, it took him at least a minute to realize he was locked in a frame. Frantically he searched for an elf in the room. Spotting Pip, he spoke quickly. "The potion, it is going to explode."

Pip vanished even as the humans in the room looked shocked.

"A potion, Severus? What potion?" Minerva looked uncertain, her eyes searching the rest of the portrait he was in.

"He is still collecting his memories, don't mind what he says right now."

The answer came from a man holding his wand against the wall. Severus focused on him. "What is happening here?"

"Professor Snape," the man gave him a fearful look that was quickly masked, but his words came out in a babbling rush. "You recovered faster than I thought possible. It normally takes a day at least for the Headmaster's Portrait to be alert."

Severus raised an eyebrow and waited. His patience was rewarded as the former Ravenclaw – if he remembered right – continued.

"I was called in to help the castle create your portrait. The portrait typically appears here when the Headmaster passes on, but yours didn't. No one knows why that happened – though a number of people think it is because you didn't deserve it – but Mr Potter convinced the Board to see if the castle just needed to be reminded that you were missing. He theorized that since you passed away during the battle and the castle was damaged at the same time, it might not have noticed. It took a bit, but you are now where you belong."

For just a moment, Severus let his curiosity control his tongue. "How do the portraits normally form? I know I did not have one painted."

He regretted it the moment the man's eyes brightened. He knew that fanatical look.

"From what we can tell, the castle knows when the former Headmasters pass on, though we have no idea what the connection is – I have colleagues who are currently researching it, fascinating stuff it is. It seems that the castle has a magical connection but how it works is something that is hard to test."

Severus' glare had the correct affect, the man returned to the topic.

"What ever the connection is, the castle then gathers all the memories of the former Headmaster left in the school – we mark the world as we pass, leaving impressions behind – and creates a portrait from them. Somehow, they have their memories up until their death," He took a breath obviously about to launch into a discussion of the research happening on this part, and stopped as Severus increased the strength of his glare. "They can visit their other portraits that were painted the normal way."

Severus tuned him out as he continued on discussing how he had created the spell that allowed Hogwarts to remember that he didn't have a portrait. _'I wonder if the castle didn't create one since I was a ghost? That sounds like the likely cause, especially as I am still tied to the school's magic.'_ He had long since decided the reason for the connection was because he became a ghost while still having control over the magic. He was the only ghost Headmaster. The next thought scared him. _'Am I trapped here? Stuck in this frame? There are no other portraits of me.'_

Pushing against the frame, relief flooded through him as he fell out. Looking back at the portrait, he noticed that the image of him appeared to be asleep. Striding out of the office, he went to check on his potion and his little charges.

§§§§§§§

Centuries passed and other portraits formed on the walls. Severus stopped by periodically to visit them. He enjoyed the time spent with Albus, Minerva, Pomona, and Filius. He had been shocked when Pomona had come back to take the mantle of Headmistress when Minerva retired. The Board had requested her personally, which had been another shock to him. As much as he enjoyed visiting, he never stayed too long, he was as busy as normal. He took his duty as Headmaster as strongly now as he had when he first received the title. He attended every Sorting, knew every student, and watched for potential Dark Lords. If he noticed things that needed to be addressed as he walked the castle, he would step into his portrait's frame and tell the current Headmaster. The last several ones had been told to listen to him much to his pleasure.

If he didn't have time to get to the portrait, or the Headmaster wasn't near to hear, he would employ the elves as he still was not noticeable. They would either end the situation, or find a professor who could do so. Two hundred years after his death he would hear the professors wondering who The Headmaster was. They knew the elves were not talking about the sitting Headmaster as they always included their name with the title, ever since Minerva took up the mantle. He was the only one they just called by the title. It was now almost a thousand years since he passed away and the professors didn't even question that. They just did as the elves told them the Headmaster said to do.

Shaking the musings from his mind, Severus stood in the Astronomy Tower watching for the smoke from the Hogwarts Train. Even after all this time, they still used it and the carriages. The Wizarding World was not one to embrace change easily.

An elf popped up beside him, drawing his attention from the horizon. "What is it, Merry?"

"The train. The bad man derailed the train!" Merry's ears were almost flat on his skull, but his eyes were bright with fury.

Severus' eyes narrowed as he jerked his attention back to the horizon, attempting to see where the train was. Not seeing anything, he looked back down at Merry. "Take a team of elves and harness the thestrals to the carriages. Have them fly your team as well as one acromantula per carriage to the train to collect the children. Once the children are safely here, we shall start our investigation. This Saboteur shall learn why no one attacks Hogwarts."

Striding down the stairwell, Severus headed for the Headmaster's office to alert the portraits of what happened. As he walked, he pulled up everything he knew about the Saboteur. The newest Dark Lord had been increasingly in the news over the past two years, bring him to Severus' attention. There had not been much he could do, tied to the castle grounds as he was, except study the man's patterns and attempt to determine who he and his followers truly were. Now though, the Saboteur was going to learn the same lesson as the last five Dark Lords – if you wish to win, _do not_ attack Hogwarts.

He was standing at the front doors when the carriages landed. He could see the surprise and fear on the faces of the professors that were clustered there as well. Glancing back at the landing carriages, he realised it was the first time for most to see a full grown acromantula, and there were at least forty of them jumping off the top of the carriages. The professors' wands, which they had drawn, lowered as the house elves who came out of the carriages waved bye to the spiders as they scurried back towards the Forest.

"Sutton." Severus waited for the head kitchen elf to appear.

"Headmaster?"

The answer was quiet enough not to draw the attention of the professors who were helping the traumatized students into the castle while the medi-witch determined who to send to the Infirmary.

"Serve a light luncheon in the Great Hall, a soup and bread would be suitable. Be sure there is tea on each table."

"At once, Headmaster." Sutton popped away as Merry came over.

"The acromantulas were helpful. They formed a circle around the train and we were able to get the children into the carriage, even the ones that were terrified of the spiders. Merry will send another team out to collect the luggage. Is there anything that the Headmaster needs Merry to do for him at the wreak site?"

Severus scanned the stream of students, catching sight of Sutton telling Headmaster Bilk about the light meal being served, before shifting his eyes to Merry. "Find me the reason for the derailment. If it is magic, collect it into one of the vials on my shelf. Then I want the identity of each follower of the Saboteur that was present – even if they are dead."

Merry nodded. "At once, Headmaster."

The elf popped away.

Once he had the magic, it wouldn't take long to learn the identity of the Dark Lord. It never did – most of them attended Hogwarts so he and the elves recognized them. If they turned out to be an immigrate wizard that attended one of Continental schools, well the elves had ways of finding out. Once they knew who, it was his turn. Depending on their crimes he would either alert the Ministry of the true identity of menace, or he would handle things himself. The ones that attacked Hogwarts were the ones that he dealt with personally. Small acromantulas were still deadly, as were several potions.


End file.
